THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604120211
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Although Hank Morris and I don't always agree, I think he's at least 115 percent right about cleaning up and fixing up historic Cedar Grove Cemetery.
The old graveyard between Effingham Street and Fort Lane is a registered historic landmark, but you'd never know it. There's no city marker or plaque to tell you how important the place is.
Until Morris and the city got together at his urging to clean up the place, the cemetery was crumbling into outrageous disrepair.
Vandals did their thing, and nobody seemed to care. From time to time, people aware of the great historical value of the area have tried, but many have given up in frustration.
Even before Vision 2005 consultant Ray Gindroz listed as assets Cedar Grove and Oak Grove (the cemetery a few blocks out London Boulevard from Cedar Grove), Morris was well into his personal project to restore dignity to the cemetery.
Gindroz noted that the cemeteries are important places in the historic fabric of our community and that they also function as open space in old downtown areas. They should be used by people to walk and jog and, along the way, to learn a little about Portsmouth.
Apparently, city officials listened when Gindroz spoke. They have installed new lights at Cedar Grove and have been working with Morris to make safe some grave markers that have been in place for more than a century.
Morris said he has been promised new gates. And by Memorial Day, he plans to have a graphic sign just inside the gate showing where some of the graves are located.
On a recent cold and rainy April day, Morris showed me what he's been doing - standing up toppled gravestones, digging up worn markers on Confederate graves to re-cut them, working with the city to clean up vandalized areas.
In fact, he said, he could use some help. Some younger backs than his would be a big help in moving around granite stones.
Morris, commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Camp 380, has been doing the work in the name of that organization.
His special interest, of course, are the Confederate veterans' graves.
He also is especially interested in the Virginia, the first ironclad naval vessel and a product of the Naval Shipyard here. In fact, he's planning a special Memorial Day ceremony to unveil a new marker at Cedar Grove on May 27 ``in memory of the brave men who built and manned the CSS Virginia 1861-62.''
The memorial stone is a hunk of granite (4 feet tall) still shaped as it was cut in 1827 to build Dry Dock No. 1 at the Naval Shipyard, the nation's oldest.
It's the only public memorial to the ship and crew, Morris said, and it will be placed in the plot where Confederate veterans are buried.
Where's the money coming from?
The granite chunk was saved when it was removed from the drydock to make room for nuclear submarines. And Nelson Thompson at Ogg Stone Works gave his time to cut the stone.
Morris had another piece of the granite cut up into paperweight sizes and added a metal engraving to each one, to sell for $25 apiece. So far, he's sold about 240 to raise $6,000 to fix up the graves.
Another project Morris hopes will be as popular as the paperweights will be the publication of a new edition of ``Porter's History of Norfolk County.'' Last published in 1892, the book was written by William H. Porter, son of John Porter, the man given primary credit for the construction of the Virginia. The original book was published at the instigation of the United Confederate Veterans to preserve the name and deeds of local units and men from the region who fought for the Confederacy.
A 48-page index, missing from the earlier publication, and a new preface have been added.
The book was published with the help of a $7,000 grant from the Portsmouth Community Trust, and Morris said he intends to give money back to the trust from the book sales. Other profits, he said, will be used for work on the graveyards.
Pre-publication price is $22.50 and $24.95 afterward.
The books should be shipped from the printer in early May. Morris said a book-signing is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 17-18 at Pfeiffer's Books, 434 High St. in Prison Square. by CNB